The sand was flat, the wind blew strong,
The rain was cool; it did not last long.

Where the people to cheer, only a few knaves;
They where not needed with a view of the waves.

The food was good, there was a lot,
The drinks were ample; I needed a pit stop.

Run it again, sure I would,
The time was slow but that will be understood.

Go run on the beach, it is better than the road;
After this race a you will be considered one of the bold.

Organization was good for a small marathon. Packet pick-up was easy, but we could have used some signs in town directing us where to go. The weather made this one of the most difficult things I have ever done. We ran 11 miles into brutal wind plus a couple of miles of pouring rain made me want to quit, but I'm glad I didn't. Turning around at mile 15.5 was as exciting as finishing the race, and I actually enjoyed the run after that. I didn't set any records - that's for sure - but this marathon was worth the trip. The sand was great; I wish I could run on it every day. I am normally a road runner, but it didn't slow me down a bit (the wind took care of that). As for aches and pains, I can tell that this is going to be a super fast recovery. The smoothie at the end was wonderful, as was the post-race BBQ.

The only complaint about this race was that there should have been more water stations. I count on them mentally as much as for hydration, and there was a very long stretch without one. I might have to carry some water next time.

Also, I will probably train on some hills next year to prepare for this race, even though it is all flat. I could have used more strength to fight the crazy wind.

Overall, I loved it!

I thought the run was a lot of fun. The goodies were great and the post-run meal was excellent. The wind and the rain made it a little tougher but not impossible. I wish there had been better stuff at the water tables, like a peanut butter sandwich. I get hungry when I run.

I love my wind shirt and the coaster. I wish I had been given a choice of extra small on the wind shirt. The small is kind of big. Overall, I would recommend this run to everyone.

I have run the half marathon three times and the full marathon once. The hard-packed sand is an excellent running surface that makes for a quick recovery. The race is small and low-key - a nice change from big-city races. There aren't many spectators, but the ocean view is so nice, who needs them? The wind is always a challenge, but there are no hills. The after-race barbecue dinner is excellent, the volunteers are friendly and the race packets are filled with lots of unusual items. Great wind-shirts this year that will come in handy at future races. All in all, a terrific event and one that I will continue to participate in.

I ran the half-marathon on Saturday and, thanks to the sand, had no pain in my joints the next day. The sand is packed hard enough to not get in shoes and socks, and the softness was easy on knees and ankles. I even ran with friends the next day. I've run other small(ish) full marathons and want to commend the Surfside organizers for doing an absolutely wonderful job.

Everything went smoothly during the run, and the winds that kicked in at about the 45 minute mark gave us something to talk about afterward.

I also like the long-sleeved windbreaker and discovered during the post-run rainstorm that the material isn't waterproof. Can't have everything!

Great job, folks. I'll be back next year.

This was the hardest yet most rewarding thing I have ever done. The wind coming at me for the long stretch made me forget about the pace I wanted; I was just trying to not be blown backwards. The rainstorm made me feel like a Marine warrior. The last 6 miles were a blur but have never felt better about finishing something, even if I staggered in! The sand was perfect for running and treats at the end were fantastic. Great course (except for the weather!).

Well the experience began for me and my daughter when we drove in at 5:30 a.m. in the dark and in the FOG and almost drove directly into the Gulf. :) Then to drive down the beach 2 miles in the dark and fog was an experience unto itself. :)

However, I must say that the organizers and volunteers at the marathon/1/2 marathon were absolutely awesome. The headwind going towards the 1/2 marathon turnaround point completely wore me out.... But that wind on your back pushed you straight to the finish line.

The medals are awesome and the goody bags were great.

Thank you for an experience that will be on my calendar every year!!!! :)

When you're from the frozen Midwest and you get a chance to run on the beach in mid February, it doesn't get any better than this. The organization was probably the best part of this race. The area was almost totally destroyed last fall by a hurricane, and yet these people put on one quality event. The volunteers - no matter what their responsibilities - were all friendly and helpful. The goody bag was packed full, the tech shirt was a way cool pullover-type jacket, and the after-race BBQ was to die for. It was cloudy in the low 60's with intermittent rain, but the weather is what it is. Real Runners run and train year round regardless of weather and learn to live with whatever the weather may be. Even during the rain the course workers stayed at their posts and served the runners. They should be commended for that. Overall, one great race. A big thanks to Daryl, and all of his crew.

I enjoyed this race on Saturday, even if it did rain the last 3 miles. It's unique and something you should try, if you're looking for a break from your normal downtown race.

Pros:
1) Lots of communication via email for months leading up to the event (even when Hurricane Ike took out power to the area last fall).
2) A "ton" of giveaways (finisher's medal, wind/rain jacket, stone coaster, marathon runner's coffee mug, winter gloves, decorated plate for being from "out of state").
3) Host hotel was very accommodating with early check-in, great rate and late checkout.

Cons:
There really weren't any that the organizers could improve on. The only negative I found was really just the "unexpected uneven surface of the beach," which made it harder to always stay in stride, since the waves had made ruts all along the beach. Nothing the race folks can do about it; I just didn't expect it.

I'm sure the post-race food was great (it smelled good), but I didn't get any, since I had a flight home to catch.

Thanks for a great race! It was a fun time!

Don't worry about the sand - it is really hard-packed and easy to run on. Organization for this race is top-notch. Great goody bag. Aid stations about every two miles, with Gatorade and water, plus GU later on in the race. Post-race food was fruit smoothie (great idea!) and plentiful barbecue. Lots of food remained for us back-of-the-pack runners. Special mention for the bugler who played the national anthem before the start. Mile-markers were very accurate. Not many spectators, so expect a lot of quiet time. The beach and ocean are beautiful. What made it very tough was the strong headwind until the turn-around, and the 45 minutes or so of pelting rain. But even with that, it was well worth doing, if only to see the pelicans flying over the water.